If you’re about to redecorate your living room you may be wondering “What does a sofa cost” or even “How much money should I budget for the whole living room refresh?”

Sure, you know that your new living room will probably include a sofa, a chair or two, a rug, and maybe a coffee table, side tables, and a few lamps (whew!). But that doesn’t necessarily help you know the number of dollar signs you’re looking at. I mean, was that a $500 rug, or a $5,000 rug? Was that a $200 lamp, or a $5,000 lamp? There is a HUGE span of pricing, service, and quality levels that will inform how much your new living room will cost. And that’s not even accounting for all the tchotchkes and artwork that add a personal touch *after* the remodel. Those extras could add hundreds or thousands of dollars to the final price tag!

Since our clients ask us all the time how much money they should expect to spend on their sofa, we thought we should share a blog about it!

Custom VS Semi-Custom Sofas

In this post, we’re going to focus on semi-custom sofas that are available from retail sellers, since that’s what we shop for our clients.

Semi-custom sofas tend to provide a few choices of lengths, a few colors of wood or metal for the legs, a couple dozen fabric or leather options, and possibly some seat-cushion-firmness choices. That’s usually *plenty* of choice for our clients, but just so you know – there is a whole other world of custom furniture and 8-way-hand-tied sofas that are rarely on the radar for our clients. If you’re looking for that level of custom (or for a sofa you can hand down for generations) in the Seattle area, reach out – we’d love to refer you to some of our wonderful luxury-end design colleagues!

So back to the point – what’s a sofa cost?

The ones we source for our clients are usually between $1500 and $5000. The cost is higher if you go with leather instead of fabric, higher if you want a sectional rather than a sofa, and also higher if you want specialty performance fabrics. (Yes! They make amazing bleachable velvets and stuff these days, but that tech comes at a price. Check out brands like Crypton and Sunbrella.)

Sofas in this range of cost are likely to last anywhere from 5 to 10 years, depending HUGELY on how hard you use it. The main thing to understand is that these are *not* the kinds of sofas you are likely to reupholster. Not only would reupholstering cost about the same as just buying new, but the frames just aren’t built to stand up to generations of wear. If you’re looking for that quality level, you’re going to either want to find a vintage sofa to have reupholstered, or shop the handmade / hand-tied sofas. Pricing will start at $5K and go up from there.

If you’re comfortable with that $1500-$5000 quality level of sofa, then you’re going to have LOTS of options for where to shop. This is where the question becomes: “What type of sofa shopping experience are you looking for?”

Three Sofas That Look The Same

Let’s compare three sofas of similar style and color from three different vendors and share why someone might want to move forward with that particular sofa choice. Hint, cost is rarely the defining ingredient! 🤓

The 90″ Zander Sofa from West Elm:

Cost: A stock color is $1,500, while “Made for You” or custom colors is anywhere between $2,100 – $2,300
Lead Time: A stock color has a lead time of 6 to 11 weeks, while a “Made for You” or custom color is 12 weeks or more!
In-Person Visits: West Elm has a location in downtown Seattle and you *might* be able to visit this particular sofa (or one of its siblings) in store.

 

Why might someone choose this sofa? There are *so* many options for fabric (it even comes in leather!)! Not only do you get your choice of neutrals, but there are 24 other options available – Everything from Dijon Yellow and Mauve Pink to Petrol Teal and Ink Blue! Not only do you have more color options, you also have more fabric type options – Need highly durable? Want something cuddly and soft? This sofa likely comes in an option that makes everyone happy! Having more options means you’re paying for that extra labor to make the sofa you’ve customized – If you’re planning on keeping your sofa for 5 to 10 years, it may be well worth it! Similar companies would include Crate and Barrel, CB2, and Pottery Barn.

 

The 90″ Rain Cloud Sofa from Article

Cost: $1,500
Lead Time: 3 to 8 Weeks
In-Person Visits: Not at this time! They’re only online!

 

 

Why might someone choose this sofa? Look familiar? This one looks *exactly* the same as the one from West Elm! For folks who like the lighter wood color, this could be a great option. It also comes in three “standard” colors (green, light gray and dark gray) all at the same price! Even though you can’t visit this one in person, Article is notorious for having *loads* of customer images and plenty of reviews! And while the West Elm sofa is only returnable if you order the stocked color, this one is returnable no matter *which* color you choose! BUT you can’t sit on it before you buy – that’s the challenge of buying online – sure, you can save money and time shopping online, but it’s bit of a leap of faith! Similar companies would include JoyBird and Burrow.

The 78″ Jollene Sofa from Macy’s

Cost: $1,070 (Currently on holiday sale for $720, what a deal – *if* the shorter size works for your space!)
Lead Time: 13 Weeks
In-Person Visits: Yup! Macy’s Furniture Gallery has locations in North and South Seattle, as well as in Bellevue! This particular sofa is currently on the floor in 6 of them (Dec 2021).

Why might someone want to choose this sofa? Well, you just can’t beat the price!

But be careful!! This sofa looks very similar to the West Elm and Article sofa, but it’s a foot shorter at just 78” wide. If you have a petite living room then this might be just the deal you’re looking for, but if your room needs a 90” sofa, be careful about sizing down just to get a great deal. Scale is one of the most important design tools. In general, buying fewer, but bigger (ie, right-sized), pieces leads to rooms that look more finished, less cluttered, and more comfy than buying more-but-smaller items.

But if 78” is just-the-right-fit for your cozy room, then with its fantastic price and the opportunity to see it and sit on it in person, this sofa deal is hard to beat! Bear in mind that part of how they keep cost down is by reducing the number of options: this sofa also only comes in just two colors, “natural” and “blue.”

PS – again, please be careful of buying a lower-priced sofa or chair without checking those dimensions. It’s REALLY common to find screaming deals online, only to find that it seems like you got doll-house-sized furniture. Smart design is ALL about getting the scale right, and fewer, bigger pieces almost *always* create a better-feeling room!

Beyond the price, it’s all about your shopping experience…

While a $1,200 price spread is nothing to sneeze at, it’s important to make sure you’re going to have the shopping experience you expect, too! Ask yourself:

– Is it important for me to sit on my sofa in person *before* buying it

– If yes, you’re likely looking at a higher price tag (they have to pay for that showroom space, keep the lights on, and pay the sales staff), but you may feel more confident in your purchase!

– Do I want to customize the color or fabric type to fit my needs?

– If yes, you’re likely looking at a higher price tag, but you can get *exactly* the color you want!

– How long am I willing to wait for my sofa to start living in my home?

– Quick turnaround options are *definitely* out there, but you won’t be able to customize as freely! (Covid note: even stocked options may have a long lead time these days. Typically Macy’s would be an instant gratification option, but with Covid, they’re just as back-ordered as everyone else! Be patient, it’s just a sofa.)

– And finally, what is your bottom-line sofa budget?

– If you *know* that you don’t want to spend more than a $1,000 on a sofa, you have a few options!

– If the sofa you want costs more than your budget, it’s always an option to save up the money you need to get what you want

– Shop at furniture galleries that have more in-stock options (like Macy’s, Ashley Home, Basset, etc.)

– Shop consignment stores! While you can’t customize, you’re more likely to find something more unique than what you can get at a department store! And these days many of the consignment shops are carrying new inexpensive sofas alongside the vintage ones. We’ve seen some fabulous options at The Furniture Guy Consignment, Ballard Consignment, and Big Whale Consignment!

We may not be able to answer how much your living room refresh will cost in just one blog post, but hopefully this helps you get closer to understanding what will go into a realistic budget for your space. You might also enjoy this blog post that breaks down the costs of the items that went into one of our past living room projects.

Have just $5,000 but want to change *everything*? Well, you can, but it might require some creative DIY or consignment store shopping, especially now that you know that just one single sofa can take up 50% of that $5000 budget (and a sectional could gobble up that budget completely!). Add in the other items (like a coffee table, end tables, accent chair, table/floor lamps, and rug), plus paint, wall art, throw pillows, etc… and you’ll easily drop $10,000 without even remotely crossing into luxury territory (where just one floor lamp could cost ya $16,000! (That’s not a typo. 😳!)

Feel overwhelmed by *all.the.things* and want help narrowing down a plan for your space that helps you keep on budget and distracted from new and shiny ideas? We can help you define the elements of your space in a Design Helpline! We’re here to help, just give us a shout! 🙂

May Your Home Always Be Happy!